Amazon Middle Earth series

This topic has 19 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 2 years, 3 months ago by ddaines.

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August 2, 2021 at 10:25 pm #48551
ddaines
Participant
May be of interest plus there is a follow-up article with some ‘spoilers’, including a hint that WOKE rears its inevitable head

https://www.theonering.net/torwp/2021/0 … fall-2022/
August 3, 2021 at 8:42 am #48552
Thingol
Participant
I’m sceptycal about this project…

…. Farewell to Middle-earth at last. I see the Star above my mast!
August 3, 2021 at 11:15 am #48553
ddaines
Participant
Thingol a écrit:

I’m sceptycal about this project…

It says in the article that the Tolkien estate appear to be happy, I guess that with Christopher Tolkien’s passing there is a lot more softening of attitudes.

It would appear that they are interpreting Tolkien’s description of, quote “Some Halflings are dark skin precursors to Shire-hobbits quite possibly”…. to possibly introduce ‘Black’ Hobbits….. “One of three somewhat different breeds” maybe Harfoots; [described by Tolkien in the Prologue to LOTR ‘Concerning Hobbits’ pg. 12: “they were browner of skin,” and also “they moved westward early,”

Lenny Henry who is a black British (alleged) ‘comedian’ apparently will portray one such early halfling [Harfoot]
August 3, 2021 at 11:31 am #48554
Thingol
Participant
ddaines a écrit:

Thingol a écrit:

I’m sceptycal about this project…

It says in the article that the Tolkien estate appear to be happy, I guess that with Christopher Tolkien’s passing there is a lot more softening of attitudes.

It would appear that they are interpreting Tolkien’s description of, quote “Some Halflings are dark skin precursors to Shire-hobbits quite possibly”…. to possibly introduce ‘Black’ Hobbits….. “One of three somewhat different breeds” maybe Harfoots; [described by Tolkien in the Prologue to LOTR ‘Concerning Hobbits’ pg. 12: “they were browner of skin,” and also “they moved westward early,”

Lenny Henry who is a black British (alleged) ‘comedian’ apparently will portray one such early halfling [Harfoot]

I know that…. but black hobbit is the same example as the black Superman… I’m not a racist, but this is funny…. It is completely normal that the black humans interpret charachters from Harad / Far Harad or some south parts of the Middle’earth… but not roles of hobbits…

Dernière modification par Thingol (Tue, Aug3 2021 3:31pm)

…. Farewell to Middle-earth at last. I see the Star above my mast!
August 3, 2021 at 12:49 pm #48555
ddaines
Participant
Thingol a écrit:

ddaines a écrit:

Thingol a écrit:

I’m sceptycal about this project…

It says in the article that the Tolkien estate appear to be happy, I guess that with Christopher Tolkien’s passing there is a lot more softening of attitudes.

It would appear that they are interpreting Tolkien’s description of, quote “Some Halflings are dark skin precursors to Shire-hobbits quite possibly”…. to possibly introduce ‘Black’ Hobbits….. “One of three somewhat different breeds” maybe Harfoots; [described by Tolkien in the Prologue to LOTR ‘Concerning Hobbits’ pg. 12: “they were browner of skin,” and also “they moved westward early,”

Lenny Henry who is a black British (alleged) ‘comedian’ apparently will portray one such early halfling [Harfoot]

I know that…. but black hobbit is the same example as the black Superman… I’m not a racist, but this is funny…. It is completely normal that the black humans interpret charachters from Harrad / Far Harrad or some south parts of the Middle’earth… but not roles of hobbits…

And Black Anne Boleyn, and Asian David Copperfield that we had to endure. I am 100% in agreement with you, NOT for Hobbits.
August 13, 2021 at 1:45 pm #48556
ddaines
Participant
Looks like Amazon are moving the series to the UK

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58196473
August 14, 2021 at 8:44 pm #48557
Thingol
Participant
A great opportunity to sign up for supporting actors in scenes of your favorite part of the Middle aearth

…. Farewell to Middle-earth at last. I see the Star above my mast!
February 6, 2022 at 7:23 pm #48558
ddaines
Participant
https://www.theonering.net/torwp/catego … n-studios/

For those with an interest in this project there are a few teaser images updated – cropped images of ‘people’ just to show weapons etc. with guessing comments from the ‘Team’.
February 12, 2022 at 4:52 am #48559
twrich
Participant
Wow, Dave–awesome!!

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those that wander are lost.” (Strider, The Fellowship of the Ring)
February 14, 2022 at 12:06 pm #48560
Gildor
MMP Elder
well , first teaser has arrived …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7v1hIkYH24

I am a bit perplex about the tone and the “freedoms” used. It looks more like a Narnia or Witcher or Wheel of Time stuff but after all… those heroic fantasy series are what “works” lately… one must consider it is a tv series and not a cinema blockbuster (no matter the budget… it’s a question of “format”)

Visually it is splendid… Galadriel as an ‘adventurer’ … well, why? but i’m ready to hear… Marcho and Blanco style hobbits with large antlers in their backs like wings…. odd… (and necessarily these are not Marcho and Blanco since we are during the Second Age…

Apparently we see Andunië , elven port of Numenor, with statues looking like the Argonath which is Numenorean style sculpturen
we also see an elven lord dark haired, I doubt it could be Elrond. Though the robes matches…but the other scenes with all the elves, and the fallen golden leaves let me think it is The Oath of Feanor…

And a lava scene… who is bearded in the lava? can’t imagine what this scene is about…

the hand of a dirty man, which can be seen on a teaser poster with an apple in it… I wonder who it could be, a man (not numenorean?) a beorning ancestor?

I fear for the break of canon… I will be ok only if they fill history gaps that do not exist anywhere (I hope the producers have read the Unfinished tales… to be sure to not break the canon… thinking that nothing is written on an event…)

“Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.” (Gildor Inglorion, LOTR1)
February 15, 2022 at 6:29 pm #48561
Barliman
Participant
I don’t honestly know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. I was going to watch it all (trailer and analysis) a second time, but then thought “Meh”, and turned it off halfway through.

To me it lacked the superlative production values of the LOTR/Hobbit movies, and wasn’t to my tastes at all. Shame. Who knows, I may “warm” to it in due course, but my initial emotional response was “Well, that was disappointing”.

“A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: thing wanted always buried.”
February 16, 2022 at 12:21 pm #48562
Gildor
MMP Elder
fact is, in addition to this trailer, I learned Saul Zaentz has put up for auction sale the whole Tolkien licence !! (the tolkien enterprise / middle earth enterprise) to whoever is willing to pay the big price to get this licence (movies, gaming, merchandising…)
the bid price is said to be around 2 billion dollars (first price… it could go up) … Certainly Amazon, Warner/New Line… or maybe who knows even Disney… could acquire the rights… (though I doubt Disney would try it they have enough big franchises already to be sufficiant (marvel, star wars, pixar…)

“Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.” (Gildor Inglorion, LOTR1)
February 16, 2022 at 1:54 pm #48563
Maenas
Participant
About the trailer:
I like the visuals, they seem spectacular, or at least as spectacular as they might be with the lots of money that they had invested. I would have preferred a bit more respect to what is written and exists than that empty astronomical amount of money… Knowing that Tom Shippey was “fired” from the project some months ago, and watching the trailer just breaked my heart a little bit.

It seems NOT to be what Tolkien high fantasy deserves, and it does not seem to have the same amount of respect and love for the details than the original trilogy of the rings had. At the moment almost everything on the trailer is invented, except for the names of Galadriel and Elrond, and a few other things remotely related to Tolkien stories. The rest is just fantasy.

To sum up, I like it and hate it at the same time and what I really feel is confusion about this project. I might like the fantasy aspect of it, but everything else I fear a lot.

Gildor Inglorion a écrit:

fact is, in addition to this trailer, I learned Saul Zaentz has put up for auction sale the whole Tolkien licence !!….

Oh my god, I have even more fears now…. just hoping it won’t be Disney. I mean, I like Disney and Pixar, but not what they have done to other franchises… coughstar coghwars cough… xD

—
Mae govannen mellon nín.
February 16, 2022 at 2:25 pm #48564
Barliman
Participant
Disney toyed with filming LOTR back in the day, didn’t they? I seem to remember that JRRT himself was appalled with the notion.

“A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: thing wanted always buried.”
February 16, 2022 at 2:36 pm #48565
ddaines
Participant
Disney is ‘Woke’ to the core, hands off!

There is a You Tube contributor – Nerd of the Rings who has done an initial reaction video to the trailer (he’s done quite a lot of stuff on different Tolkien subjects and is worth a watch) and raised some observations.
February 16, 2022 at 4:00 pm #48566
Gildor
MMP Elder
apparenty depending on Amazon success, they want to make big money by selling the licence which is now ripe to provide lot of money… if Amazon buys it… I fear the worse… BUT at the same time they would be the best placed to produce any kind of derived products, not only movies… but also book editions, byproducts, tv series, and lots of stuff … but at the risk of denaturing the work…

on the other hand Warner Bros/New Line… well, they could make great movies and films too but do they want or do they have the money to counter amazon ?

and in the end Disney would have no money problem… but do they want to add another huge franchise to their already huge empire ?

can you imagine future cross overs with Darth Vader meeting Iron Man meeting Sauron ? or Legolas against Hawkeye against Chewbaca or Merida ?

….

“Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.” (Gildor Inglorion, LOTR1)
February 16, 2022 at 4:16 pm #48567
Thingol
Participant
I will write only a brief thought:

I think this series is total nonsense!

…. Farewell to Middle-earth at last. I see the Star above my mast!
February 16, 2022 at 11:10 pm #48568
Barliman
Participant
ddaines a écrit:

Disney is ‘Woke’ to the core, hands off!.

One day I must get someone to explain to me what “woke” means in trendy hip vernacular. Waking is something I do every morning, but I still don’t understand it.

“A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: thing wanted always buried.”
February 17, 2022 at 11:42 am #48569
Maenas
Participant
Barliman a écrit:

Disney toyed with filming LOTR back in the day, didn’t they?

I think that too… that was around the Bakshi film era..

Barliman a écrit:

One day I must get someone to explain to me what “woke” means in trendy hip vernacular. Waking is something I do every morning, but I still don’t understand it.

I do not know either… lost in translation sorry xD

ddaines a écrit:

There is a You Tube contributor – Nerd of the Rings who has done an initial reaction video to the trailer (he’s done quite a lot of stuff on different Tolkien subjects and is worth a watch) and raised some observations.

Yes indeed! I just discovered him this week. If someone around needs a “Spanish version” that could be kai47’s youtube channel, they both do similar stuff around Tolkien lore.

Gildor Inglorion a écrit:

at the same time they would be the best placed to produce any kind of derived products, not only movies… but also book editions, byproducts, tv series, and lots of stuff … but at the risk of denaturing the work…

I liked back in time when Amazon sold books, I am not happy now, giving such enourmous power and wealth to just one single enterprise so I try to interact minimally with them.

Gildor Inglorion a écrit:

can you imagine future cross overs with Darth Vader meeting Iron Man meeting Sauron ? or Legolas against Hawkeye against Chewbaca or Merida ?

Shivers….

—
Mae govannen mellon nín.
February 17, 2022 at 6:39 pm #48570
ddaines
Participant
Barliman a écrit:

ddaines a écrit:

Disney is ‘Woke’ to the core, hands off!.

One day I must get someone to explain to me what “woke” means in trendy hip vernacular. Waking is something I do every morning, but I still don’t understand it.

The term ‘woke’: the 2020 definition Definition in oxford dictionary says ‘Alert to injustice in society, especially racism.’ I think it is the shortened tern for ‘Awoken’.

However, it is a word/phrase also used for describing cr*p like ‘cancel-culture’ etc. I think Disney has put out ‘warnings’ on their old movies that scenes in Bambi etc. are likely to offend some of society’s ‘sensitive souls (I can’t recall exact examples). Also the need to cast actors into roles that are specifically inaccurate, e.g. the recent Anne Boleyn having a Black actress playing the title-role, David Copperfield being played by a chap with the surname Patel are bundled under the ‘Woke’ umbrella. My own ‘uvver-half’ is Sikh and she thinks it ridiculous and unnecessary.

It, along with other terms such as ‘snowflakes’, is used to describe ‘bleeding-heart’ liberal types who feel the need to apologise on behalf of those who they perceive to be offended, regardless of whether they are offended or not.

Anyhow, as views expressed can be mis-interpreted I will leave it at that
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